The Florida Democratic Party slammed the retirement of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) this week as a sign of things to come for the GOP as Democrats look to take back the House in the 2026 midterms.
“After two decades of rigging our tax codes to favor billionaires and corporations, Vern Buchanan is leaving Washington. If ever there was a bellwether for Americans, this is it. True conservatives are leaving office in droves, disgusted by their own party and unwilling to hold this corrupt president accountable,” Florida Democratic Chairwoman Nikki Fried said.
“Buchanan is the 28th republican to announce he won’t seek reelection after this term. Instead of standing up to the extremism of Trump, they are running off to sunny shores as democracy faces an existential threat," Fried added. "Democrats won’t back down. We are overperforming and ready to fight for our country, the rule of law, and values we all hold dear."
Rep. Buchanan has represented Florida's 16th congressional district since 2013. The area includes parts of Hillsborough County near Tampa and all of Manatee County on the Gulf Coast.
Notably, Buchanan won the district by 19 points over Democrat Jan Schneider in 2024. President Trump also won both counties in the district, including Manatee, by more than 23 points over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Buchanan also represented Florida's 13th congressional district from 2007 to 2013 before redistricting. Rumors have already started to swirl in GOP circles about Buchanan's potential replacement, including his son, Rep. James Buchanan (R-Sarasota), and Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters.
Regardless of who runs, Democrats sense some vulnerability.
Fried expressed a similar sentiment after special elections in Florida last year.
"Democrats will compete everywhere. In the last 10 months alone, the Florida Democratic Party has seen over 800 citizens raise their hands to run for office, not hide and cower in fear of a wannabe dictator," Fried continued. "Democratic candidates are stepping up to run for office because that’s what we do as Americans. We don’t run when times get hard, we stand up and fight for what’s right.”
